I decided weeks ago I was going to work on a tonal study of my dad. He has more time than other family members and he's a willing sitter. Although, he is now at that age when snoozing takes places all too frequently, so the occasional probe was required.
I approached this portrait with sensitivity because I was drawing my dad. When the piece has been through its assessment I will frame it and give it to him as a gift. My dad appreciates traditional artwork and knowing this I was more reserved with my line.
I didn't make preliminaries before starting, so I'm please with how the composition turned out. I knew what I wanted and just made a start when my dad was positioned. With a delicate portrait I struggle with 'completion'. Personally, and this applies to me generally, it is a fine line between incomplete and over-worked and I sometimes have a tendency to leave work in a more incomplete state. This is purely down to the fear of spoiling.
I think a little more work around the facial features would improve the picture and draw more focus to the head of the portrait. I'm pleased with the understated torso, which draws the eye down to the hands. I'm undecided about the work on the hands... I'm pleased with proportions and the sense of force pushing his fingers apart, but I think they may have been over-worked, taking primary focus in the picture. Perhaps I've been looking at it for too long and now I'm trying to find faults.
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